Another Angel?
by azael ice
Summary: A story that takes place immediately after the end of the Phantom of the Opera playmovie. A girl from the Opera House across town finds the distraught Phantom in the cellars of the Opera house. A girl, that reminds him of Christine. Can he love again?
1. Chapter 1

Another Angel: Chapter 1

Author Note: Um...I'm not sure exactly where this fanfic will go. Setting wise, this takes place immediately after the Garnier Opera house goes in flames--in fact, the same night as "Past the Point of No Return" and "Down Once More."There is actually another Opera House in Paris besides the Garnier Opera House, but it was built in 1990 or so...So let's just pretend that there are two opera houses in Paris in the late 1800's, shall we? Hope you like it! --AzIce

It was after the night performance of Bizet's Carmen that she first heard it. She had changed out of her costume to a white dress and was down beneath the Bastille Opera House in Paris. It was extremely crowded upstairs, so Reina had taken refuge beneath the stage in the chapel. News of the destruction of the Garnier Opera House across the city had spread like wildfire and many of the singers and dancers from there were taking refuge in the Bastille Opera House.

It was a soft sobbing and it grew louder as she started walking towards the cellars. Strangely, it sounded like a man's voice as well, one that she didn't recognize, perhaps an audience member? Having grown up in the Opera house, she knew it like the back of her hand and it sounded like it was coming from the fifth cellar, where no one went—no one even went into the third cellar. But she had gone down there one more than one occasion. The first time she went down there, it had been a dare from the other girls at the Opera house. But instead of the dust, spiders, and mice she thought she would find, it looked as if someone could live there and she found herself coming back there occasionally because the atmosphere of it would calm her down. Though she was popular with many of the girls, their idle chatter often bored her and spent her time wandering through the gardens, or in the fifth cellar.

The fifth cellar also had a tunnel behind a curtain that led somewhere, but she had never gone the full length of the tunnel. It led too far away from the Opera House. She began walking toward the fifth cellar. As she came into view of the cellar, she saw a faint light coming from it, and sobbing was coming from there as well. Frightened slightly, she slowly walked towards the light and the mysterious sobbing. Surely enough, there was someone there. It was a man, but she could hardly see his face. But seeing the tears glimmer in the faint candlelight, she felt a rush of sympathy for the man, even though she had idea who he was. She walked over to the man, who was surprised to see her. The single candle lit in the room didn't do much to show his features.

"Here, monsieur," she said, offering him her handkerchief, a kind smile on her face. "It looks as if you have more need of this than I do."

Surprised that a total stranger showed such kindness to him, he stared at her, surprised, before he took the handkerchief. "Thank you," he murmured.

"Shall I light some candles?" she asked, rising from the man's side. "There are a lot of candelabras over there."

"No!" the man said in a choked cry.

"As you wish," she said, returning to his side and leaving the candle away from him. There was something that he was hiding, but strangely enough, she trusted this strange man. "If I may ask, monsieur, you came through the tunnel. Where does it lead?"

"The Garnier Opera House," the man responded. He sounded better than before, though he occasionally wiped a tear away. "You must think me foolish," he said. "A grown man, crying like a newborn."

She shook her head. "No. It would be foolish to assume that grown men do not cry. I'm sure you have good reason to cry. Is there anything I can do to help you, monsieur?"

"No," he said. "No…there is no reason for me to live anymore," he muttered, thinking that she would not hear him. But her small hands grasped his wrist immediately—small, slim, pretty hands that reminded him of Christine.

"No!" she cried, looking him in the eye. "Don't kill yourself. Please. Promise me you won't. If you do, I shall be unhappy forever because it will be my negligence that allowed you to kill yourself. And I shall throw myself from the top of the opera house if you kill yourself. So…promise me. Please. I implore you, monsieur."

"I….I promise," the man said, taken back that this girl tried so desperately to save him. "Why?" he suddenly asked quietly. "Why do you try so hard to save me, a complete stranger you met naught but fifteen minutes ago?"

"I don't know," she finally admitted after some thought. "Perhaps it is because life is so precious to me. My family was murdered in front of my own eyes when I was four." A tear fell down her cheek now. It had been a robbery. Her father had shoved her under the table and told her not to move right as the robbers came in. They took everything valuable and mercilessly slaughtered her parents. "And my best friend killed herself a month ago," she said, fighting the tears. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry anymore over her dear friend, who had been driven to hysteria by La Sorelli, who was jealous of her talent, but no one blamed it on La Sorelli. They just called it an unfortunate accident. The managers pampered and spoiled La Sorelli, the lead soprano and dancer who threatened to quit whenever she was unsatisfied. "Oh dear," she said, wiping the tear from her cheek and looked at the watch on her wrist. "It's getting late. Madam Ellisa will be missing me. I'll bring you back something to eat later after everyone has gone to bed."

"Don't get yourself in trouble for my sake, mademoiselle," the man said.

She laughed softly. "My name is Reina, monsieur. And I'm never in trouble. I always steal away after Madam Ellisa puts us in bed." She got up to leave.

"Here," he said, holding out her handkerchief for her. "Thank you."

"Keep it," she said, a smile on her face. "I'll just tell Madam Ellisa that I lost it."

"I shall wait for you to return," the man said. He sounded more collected now. "However, tell no one of my presence here."

"Of course," she said, nodding her head in acknowledgement before she picked up her candle to leave. She found the dormitories crowded with girls, some she knew and some she didn't. Along with Madam Ellisa, there was another woman there presiding over the girls. Reina had thought that she had slipped in unnoticed, until Madam Ellisa called her out.

"Miss Merteuil," came Ellisa's taut voice.

"Yes, Madam Ellisa?" she asked meekly, turning to face the caretaker and instructor of the dancers. As in Reina's case, Ellisa became a second mother to all the dancers because most were sent to the Opera House at such young ages that they still pined for family. Ellisa was a strict, yet loving woman, as with all mothers.

"Where have you been all this time?" Ellisa asked.

"Down in the chapel," she responded. "It was dreadfully crowded and raucous in the lobby after the opera, so I decided to seek somewhere quieter."

There was a slight smile on Ellisa's face. "You did wonderfully tonight, child. There were many people looking to congratulate you. Now, onto bed. We are sharing our dormitory with the Opera Populaire tonight, and for many nights to come—I'm sure you've heard of the tragedy that they suffered. So be sure that you make them feel welcome, Reina."

"Of course, madam Ellisa," she said, dropping in a slight curtsy in respect to the two women before going to the dormitories. She changed into a nightgown and prepared for bed, taking out the pin that held her hair back to let it fall loosely behind her. The lights soon went out and Reina heard the girls' breathing patterns lapse into the steady breathing characterized by sleep.

She silently slipped out of bed and to the shadows, where she made her way to the kitchens. She grabbed a basket and put a loaf of bread in there along with some meats and cheeses. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

She began her way to the stairs that led to the cellars. At night, she normally slipped out to the gardens to enjoy the fresh air. Often, she found that she couldn't sleep, so she enjoyed watching the stars at night. But going to the cellar at night was something that she didn't do very often. It was completely dark as she looked down into the cellars beneath her. She didn't want to risk a candle—it would be easily seen. But she was fairly certain that she could find her way. So, throwing away her fear, she started walking down the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, she paused again. It was completely dark. Coming down the stairs, she had meager moonlight to guide her, but it was so dark in the cellars that she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face. She would have to rely solely on memory to find her way to the fifth cellar. She hoped there were no rats or spiders scurrying around. She absolutely hated them.

But a gloved hand extended to her from the dark. "Come to me," came the man's voice. "Let me lead you through the darkness." She was taken aback by the voice at first. He sounded completely different from the suffering, pitiful creature from before and it took her a moment to realize that he was the same person.

A/N: The End...for part 1. Please review...I just want to know that there are actually people reading this...and maybe a couple thoughts or pointers. Or...you can give me plot ideas...or a better title! Sorry...it's the middle of the night...and I am delirious. :D Until the next chapter (maybe), AzIce.


	2. Chapter 2

Another Angel: Chapter 2

Author Note: Hello everyone! Thank you all for reading/reviewing the first chapter, and I even received a very thoughtful email. ) I'm excited that people actually like it. Here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long. I had writer's block for the longest time, which is partially the reason why it's so short. But it's amazing what coffee can do for you. D Hope you all like it! --AzIce

Reina cautiously took his hand and he led her through the cellars, past the fifth cellar, through a twisted maze of corridors.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they passed the fifth cellar through a door that she never knew existed, into hallways that she had never seen.

"You took my hand," he said softly. "Trust me. I will not hurt you."

She trusted him. After all, he could have easily ambushed her in the dark, and yet he didn't, so she allowed him to lead her. He was patient, slowing down to her pace—her nightgown wasn't the most effective thing for quick, fast strides.

They ended up in a small cavern lit with a few candelabras. There were only meager furnishings, but before she looked more closely at the cavern, her eyes darted to the man who held her hand—the man whose face had been in shadow the entire time. But his back was to her, so she couldn't tell very much about him. Then, he finally turned to face her.

"Welcome," he said, but she barely paid attention to his words because she was staring at him. She couldn't help it. She didn't expect him to look like this. When she first heard him, he had been such a desolate, miserable person, but here he was, dressed as well as any other man on the street, even if he was wearing rather dark colors. There was no hint of the grief-stricken, pitiable man from before except a slight redness around his eyes. However, there was a rather strange white mask covering the right side of his face. But she didn't give the mask much thought. She was still amazed by his calm and collected composure, a striking difference from earlier.

"I console a sorrowful man, only to find that he is the Phantom of the Opera," Reina said in wonder. "Never did I dream that he was a real man. It is an honor to meet you, monsieur. I brought some bread, meat and cheese. I'm sorry; it was all that I could find." The first remark was a half pun. The Phantom of the Opera was something common in all the Opera Houses—a fable told by the older girls to the younger ones to scare them. And accidents were regularly blamed on the 'imaginary' Phantom as well.

He smiled slightly at the girl's worry over him. "Do not be troubled about something as petty as that. It will suffice. So, now that you know who I am, do you despise me? Do you hate me for who, for what, I am?"

"No." She spent no time to think about it—her response was immediate and confident. "One of the last lessons mother taught me was not to judge by a person's reputation—or their appearance for that matter. What really matters is what is inside your heart. And I trust you, monsieur. Perhaps it is the spirit of my mother telling me this. No matter who or what you may have been before, it doesn't matter to me."

He smiled for a second, amused at the girl's response. She was so innocent—perhaps even more innocent than Christine had been. Before her was a deformed, wretched murderer, and she didn't care at all. She so easily trusted him.

"Is there something wrong, monsieur?" she asked, confused.

"No," he replied. "You remind me of someone very dear to me." There was a kind, yet sad look on his face. He then changed the subject. "So, tell me about yourself. You live in the dormitories. Are you a ballerina?"

She nodded. "I'm in the chorus as well. But I'm no one special."

"Please, sing for me, if you don't mind."

She began to sing. It was from some opera that he didn't recognize, but the quality of her voice was excellent. Untrained, but excellent. Everything about this girl seem to remind him of Christine. They even looked about the same age. The slightest thought of Christine brought back all the melancholy and sadness he had felt before. The raging jealousy he had felt before had dwindled to embers, but he felt an immense sorrow within him because of her absence. But perhaps this girl could help him forget Christine. Maybe trying to pretend Christine never existed would be better than living with the anguishing knowledge that she had deserted her angel for another. He doubted he could love someone that devotedly again—he had given her his soul, but all he needed was a distraction so his mind wouldn't continually return to Christine. And a fresh, untrained voice was the perfect distraction.

"You have a gift for music," he observed. "Your voice is very beautiful. However, it is untrained. Let me guide you through the paths of music. I can teach you to be even better than La Sorelli. For I am the Angel of Music. I will guide you and guard you." It tore at him to say that, but it had to be done. It would be this girl that he would tutor now.

"An…angel of music?" she echoed. Then she smiled. "Perhaps you are my childhood in spirit. I lived with one of my father's friends for a short time after they died, before I came to the Opera house. He used to tell me stories of angels, and how my parents were with them. He said that my parents would send angels to watch over me. Maybe he was right.

"I will gladly accept any help you can give me, monsieur, though I doubt I could be as good as La Sorelli," she said in response to his offer.

In truth, she was slightly frightened of La Sorelli because of what had happened to her friend, but she also didn't want to say no to this man. The image of him in the dark, sobbing and the tears on his face reflecting in the candlelight, still lingered in her mind, and she didn't want to leave him. Even though he appeared to be fine, she knew that it could just be a mask. Something that emotionally moving would not go away in a matter of a few hours. She herself still occasionally lived in the dark days of her past—the murder of her parents and the suicide of her friends. But she made sure that no one saw that side of her anymore. When people were present, she locked that side of her away until she was alone again.

"Very well," he said. "I shall give you my gift for music. We will begin tomorrow. It is late now, and you should return to the dormitories if you want to make rehearsals in the morning. And do not search for me. I will come to you. Now come, let us return to the Opera house."

She nodded her head, and he led her again through the dark maze of corridors until they reached the bottom of the stairs where there was enough moonlight to guide her back to the dormitories.

"Goodnight, Reina," he said quietly in parting, still covered by the darkness. "Remember, tell no one of my presence here. I shall come to you tomorrow."

Ending Author Note: Somehow, I don't think this lives up to the previous chapter. But whether you like it or not, please tell me. So, I'm sorry if you all hate me now for writing this! But I'll continue anyway for the people who still want to read. Any plot ideas, comments, reviews, etc. are welcome! I think I have a basic plot setup already, but if there are any plot quirks you want to add, email me or leave a review, and I'll see what I can do. ) Well, until the next chapter, AzIce.


	3. Chapter 3

Another Angel: Chapter 3

A/N: Hello again to all the readers out there! I'm finally updating! After forever… No, I did not abandon you and leave you with 2 chapters. I just have a ton of writer's blocks. I think I know the basic plot setup I want, but it's filling the stuff in between the big events that I'm having problems with. Gaaah. I hate writing the filler stuff. And classes are starting again, but I'll still write, just infrequently. I'm going to have a goal of about one chapter per two weeks. And if I ever get out of this writer's block, one chapter per week. Thank you to all the reviewers. Black Rose 37, thank you for all of your tips, compliments, and plot ideas. :) This author note is getting pretty long…pretty soon, it'll be longer than the chapter, ;p So, I'll just acknowledge the other reviewers with tons of gratitude. SpeedDemon315, Katie, PhantomLover2005, Sister Of The Avatar, and MoonCat (my first reviewer. Yay!). Thank you so much for your flattering accolades! They made me feel special. I look forward to hearing from all of you again—or from anyone else that decides to comment. Without further ado, here's the next chapter. --AzIce

A/N #2: Or maybe there is some ado...I've been reading some other ppl's stuff and there is no disclaimer in my stuff. So, here goes. This is for all previous and all following chapters.I don't own Phantom of the Opera. That probably belongs to Gaston Leroux, Andrew Lloyd Webber and some other people that I'm forgetting. The story ideas are a combination of mine and any plot suggestions that may have influenced me. And that's all. So, without more ado, here's the chapter. --AzIce

The next morning at rehearsal, Reina found herself unable to concentrate because she was constantly wondering about the strange Phantom who had revealed himself last night. Even though the first performance of Carmen had been last night and the audience had enjoyed it, La Sorelli had been displeased and called for a rehearsal the next morning. This was a regular happening with all of the operas that they performed. La Sorelli was very detail oriented on every aspect of the opera.

"You there!" La Sorelli's voice snapped and Reina jolted out of her thoughts, suddenly realizing she had missed her entrance and it was her that Sorelli was talking to. "Why did you not come in? Are you sleeping?"

"No," Reina said hastily. "Sorry, signora. I was thinking about last night's performance."

"Well, maybe if you concentrated on what you were supposed to be doing, it would have been better last night," Sorelli retorted. "From the beginning of the act."

There were a lot of groans and Reina internally shared their sentiments. It would be another 15 minutes before she came in, but she knew better than to argue. But who could be expected to pay attention the entire fifteen minutes when all they were doing was standing backstage?

Reina tried as best she could, but got lost in thought again, though she made sure that she occasionally kept track of where they were in the opera. But as she got lost in thought again, she heard a word waft in the almost nonexistent breeze.

"_Focus."_ She immediately recognized the voice. It was his.

She turned around, puzzled as to where his voice came from. "Did you hear that?" she asked the girl next to her.

The girl looked at Reina strangely. "Hear what? I can only hear Sorelli sing."

"Never mind," she replied, though she occasionally turned back to scan the shadows for him. 'Where is he? Or maybe I'm just imagining things…'

"_Don't let your mind wander,"_ she heard his voice come from behind again. _"Your entrance is coming soon."_

'He is here,' she thought as she watched Sorelli sing an apparently endless cadenza, though her mind was completely absorbed in her thoughts. The voice was right as well. Her entrance was just after the cadenza. 'But where?' she wondered as she scanned the darkness of backstage one last time before making her entrance.

Knowing that he was watching and critiquing her made her extremely self-conscious. She knew exactly where she was—and where she needed to be. Sorelli's approval didn't matter that much to her anymore—it was his approval that she was looking for now. She didn't know the reason why, but it just was. Maybe it was because that he was the fabled Phantom of the Opera which made it exciting. Or just the fact that she had a private instructor. Only the daughters of the wealthy could afford private, more exclusive coaches other than the ones at the opera house.

Three hours later, Sorelli released them from the grueling and tedious practice, only somewhat satisfied at the progress they had made. After that practice, madam Ellisa gave them free time until the performance that night. Normally, they would have immediately gone to ballet or vocal practice afterward for the rest of the day, but with all the havoc arriving with the Opera Populaire performers and staff, the opera house was in a confusing, messy state and Madam Elissa was always tending to other things.

Reina wanted to go down to the cellars to find him, but she knew better. Someone would see her go down there and wonder what she was doing. But she couldn't help wanting to go there—she was like a moth attracted to a flame. She went outside in hopes of putting him in the back of her mind. The fresh air actually helped her think of other things for a while. She engaged in some light conversation with girls from the Opera Populaire. She was actually curious as to what had really happened at their Opera House, but she didn't want to pry. A lot of them still seemed upset at the loss of their home.

That night, the performance went well. She felt that she performed better than the previous night and she received many congratulations, even from the girls at the Opera Populaire. And she, in turn, had to congratulate some people from the Opera Populaire. Sorelli had been displeased with some of the dancers and looked to the Opera Populaire dancers for replacements. They had to learn the part within that day, which Reina thought was amazing that they could pull it off, even if the part was small.

"You were great," a girl from the Opera Populaire said to her in the dressing room after the performance. Reina recognized the girl as one of the dancers that performed with them.

"Thanks," she replied. "You, too. You learn so quickly. It's amazing that you could perform it the same day that it was given to you."

The girl laughed slightly. "It's really not that amazing. La Carlotta always expected us to have our parts down by the end of the first rehearsal."

"She sounds like Sorelli," Reina remarked dryly. "She always seems to be dissatisfied with everything."

"Yeah," the girl agreed. "But after that whole thing with the Phantom of the Opera, Signora Carlotta left. I'm so glad. No more Carlotta bossing us around."

"What?" Reina asked. "The Phantom of the Opera?" she repeated, half shocked, totally disregarding the statement about Carlotta.

"Yeah," the girl replied. "He started appearing around the Opera house last year with these bizarre commands. Of course, the managers didn't listen to him. He ended up killing the main stage hand. And last night when we were performing, somehow, he replaced Piangi on stage. Christine took off his mask…and it was terrible! His entire face was so misshapen. He then brought the chandelier down and the whole Opera house caught on fire."

Reina was completely surprised and slightly horrified at what had happened to the Garnier Opera House and the events that led up to it. "That's horrible," she said. "Now I understand why so many people are so distressed about all of this. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I'm sure everyone will be okay. And I'm positive that they'll start to rebuild it soon." She looked at a clock. "Well, I should be getting back to the dormitories. It's getting late. It was nice meeting you."

Reina nodded. "Yeah," she said, a smile on her face. The thought crossed her mind that the Garnier Phantom of the Opera and her Phantom of the Opera were the same person, but she quickly erased those thoughts. 'He wouldn't do that. He's the Angel of Music.' During the performance, she constantly heard his voice in the background, always giving words of encouragement. She couldn't wait until after everyone went to bed. She, again, would slip unnoticed to the fifth cellars to meet her angel.

A/N: Hm…I basically said everything that I wanted to say in the first author note. Maybe I should move the review acknowledgements down here next time. I know this is a bit of a letdown from the last chapter. I'm sorry. It's going to be some filler stuff right now unless you want to see a ton of "Later that day…" or "That night…". Don't worry, the big events are coming soon, but I think I'm going to have to insert a "one month later" thing…any objections? Oh…I actually had a question for everyone out there. I refer to Buquet as the "scene shifter." Because it's what he does, but it's probably not the right title…I just came up with a random name for it. If you know the title of the job that he does, please tell me and I'll change it eventually. You know, I just realized my title is alliterative. I'm such a dork...Somehow, I always end up writing the author notes in the middle of the night, so I apologize for any randomness that doesn't make sense. And I think that's all for now. So, I'll see you all in Chapter 4. --AzIce


	4. Chapter 4

Another Angel: Chapter 4

A/N: Hey all again! Well, here's the next chapter. I just realized that I'm past that two week deadline. Sorry! It's a little bit short too, because I thought that I'd just give you what I had rather than make you wait. It's only the second week of school and I'm completely swamped with stuff already. Anyway, my friend just recently asked me what was my favorite song in Phantom. It's so hard to choose because there are so many good songs. But I think mine is the Point of No Return, but even that is tied with Music of the Night, Phantom of the Opera, and Down Once More. And most of the rest of the songs are close seconds. I can't decide! So, out of curiosity, what is your favorite song? Oh, by the way, for those of you who haven't read the Leroux book, the Phantom's real name is Erik. To me, it seems a little awkward to address him as "the Phantom" every time, so I'm using his name. And that's about for it. --AzIce

She seemed eager to see him, Erik noted as he met her in the fifth cellar. She was silent as he brought her through the maze of hallways as to not wake anyone, but he felt her excitement brimming as they neared the cavern he was staying in for now. "You did well tonight, Reina," he said as they entered. "A great improvement from this morning's rehearsal."

"Thank you," she replied. "But it was you who deserves the congratulations. Your criticism and encouragement was what made me better. But, tell me, how was it that you cast your voice so only I could hear it? They must think that I am in need of a doctor now because I told them I heard a voice."

He smiled slightly. "It's something that I picked up a while ago." He made his voice come out of various objects in the cavern, which entertained her for a while. But it was obvious that her mind was on other things. "You have something on your mind," he stated, returning his voice to normal.

"A girl from the Opera Populaire just told me what happened to their opera house," Reina explained. "It's terrible. Can you imagine…that chandelier crashing down on so many people? You said that that tunnel in the fifth cellar leads to the Garnier Opera house. Do you think I could go there? I want to find their Phantom of the Opera. That girl told me that it was he who brought down the chandelier."

"That tunnel is at least 2 miles long," he said. "It would be a long journey for you."

"It doesn't matter," she responded. "I've walked to the other side of the city before. And it's only 10:30. There's plenty of time."

"If you are that curious, then let me lead you there. The path to the Garnier Opera House is long and dark."

Reina got the feeling that he didn't particularly want to go. After all, it was probably the chandelier crash that made him flee to their Opera House. "I'm sure that the Garnier Opera House holds a lot of memories for you. You don't have to go with me. I'll be fine."

She found herself in the tunnel with a torch, wishing that she had asked him to come with her. 'It _is_ dark in here,' she thought as she continued along the path. 'Even with the torch…' She had started walking down the tunnel about five minutes ago, but it seemed like an eternity had passed. Nothing decorated the drab, monotonous gray stone walls. And the torch only lit five feet in front of or behind her. After that was complete darkness.

In truth, she was actually slightly frightened of what, or who, she would find in the Garnier Opera House. That single tale of the Phantom of the Opera scared her. 'He brought down the chandelier,' ran through her head again and again and she could only imagine what other horrors he committed.

As she continued walking, she forced herself to think of other things. It didn't matter who was waiting for her there. And surely the Garnier Phantom was as human as she—he had to have a heart.

She had been right. He didn't want to go. That Opera House held too many memories. Too many memories of _her_. Even now after it was all over he still thought of her constantly, even with Reina as a new pupil. It was true that when he was with Reina, most of the thoughts about Christine vanished, but when she was gone, memories of Christine returned to haunt him.

But memory or not, he had to follow her. He was once again a guardian and an angel. Even though he doubted there was anyone left in the Opera House, there still might be people exploring the depths of his lair. He silently followed her torch, lingering behind where the darkness covered him. It was evident again that she was thinking of what laid ahead—the Garnier Phantom of the Opera. The girl from the Opera Populaire had no doubt told some horrid story about him, but he wasn't planning on revealing his true identity anytime soon. No one would know of the true story except him, Christine, and the vicomte. (A/N: It'd be nice to insert some Raoul bashing right there, but that's not nice…and not Erik-like maybe. I'm not sure if he would insult Raoul after he willingly lets her go with him.)

He continued to follow her and she appeared to be deep in thought as she continued the stone corridor. Obviously, too deep in thought, for she tripped over a step that led into his lair. He had to rush forward to grab her so she wouldn't fall and hurt herself.

Reina was completely surprised and slightly scared that someone was there. She had been thinking about various things when she tripped over a step and someone grabbed her from the darkness.

She circled the torch around and found him there behind her.

"You should pay attention to where you walk and engage in less deep thought," he said with an smile on his face.

But she was still surprised. "But I thought you were staying…" she said. "Why?"

"I am your Angel of Music," he replied. "I am here to guide you and to guard you."

She smiled. "I know it must be hard for you to return, but I'm really glad that you are with me." She truthfully felt better knowing that he was here with her. As she moved a heavy cloth covering a doorway, she found an huge cavern. After finding many candelabras and lighting a few with her torch, she found that the cavern was very ornately decorated. Art covered the walls, from portraits of a girl to sculptures, and a huge organ dominated the far wall and there was even a lake that came to the foot of the living space. It looked like that the lake was the only other way to reach the secluded living area. Reina couldn't help but wonder in awe at the cavern.

"This is amazing," she said. "Whoever lived here couldn't be evil. A musician, an artist, and from the looks of it, a composer as well," she said, examining some music on a stand. "This is where their Phantom of the Opera lived, right?"

"Yes," Erik replied, looking through some of his stuff. He could tell that they went through some of his papers, but other than that, pretty much everything had stayed the same. Then the tinkling of the music box filled the cavern. He started walking over there, the memories flooding into his mind. '_Masquerade, paper faces on parade. Masquerade, hide your face so the world will never find you,_' he thought in tune with the monkey's music. Surprisingly, he heard his thoughts being sung, except a different verse.

"Masquerade," Reina sung softly. "Every face a different shade. Masquerade, look around there's another mask behind you."

The music died away and the words returned to his mind. ' _"Christine, I love you."_ ' He had to stop a moment because that memory meant so much to him.

"Look, it's a music box. It's the same music that the Opera Populaire had playing at their masquerade at the beginning of the year. Madame Ellisa made us leave early though," Reina said, reminiscing. She held the music box in her hand. "Hello? Is anyone here?" she called out, but her voice only echoed into the depths of the cavern. "He's not here anymore, is he?" she asked, turning to Erik.

"No," Erik responded to her question. "He fled because they were trying to murder him for what he had done."

"Did you know him then?" she asked, placing the music box back where she found it. "Because you came from here last night, right?"

"Yes," he replied after a pause. "I knew him."

A/N: This is going rather slowly, isn't it? I promise the next chapter will have something exciting in it. And if it doesn't you can all hunt me down and throw things at me. (Actually, I'd prefer it if you didn't. Getting hit by things hurts). Actually, I think that my version of the Phantom is very off character (I think that's the word for it. But you get what I mean. He's the Phantom, but he's not Phantom-like). \ I just can't imagine him doing/saying/thinking some of these things. I'll try to keep that in mind for the next chapter. If there's anyone who agrees with me, let me know. Otherwise, I won't think very hard about it because no one agrees, so I won't strive to change it (if that made any sense at all. It's midnight and I'm about to fall asleep and I'm very crazy at midnight when I'm lacking sleep.) And acknowledgements to the returning reviewers! PhantomLover2005, thank you for providing the solution to my lack of lexicon in the last chapter. Obviously, I am not in my smart mode when I write this. SpeedDemon315—Thanks for your well wishes. I think I'm rolling again. :) And BlackRose37—I'm glad you like it! I hope that you'll continue reading. :D So, I'll leave you guys now. Comments, random blurbs, and plot ideas are still welcome from anyone out there. Already working on the next chapter, your author, --AzIce


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello all again! As promised, I got this chapter to you way faster than the previous one. Well, we've made it to Chapter 5. D I find that remarkable that I've lasted this far. For you people who write a million chapters, I applaud you. You people are insane. I might just join you too. It depends on how well my plot unfolds. So, thank you thus far for being so patient with me and my random ramblings in all these author notes! You all must think I belong in a psychiatric ward or something. ) But I assure you, I'm perfectly sane. I enjoy all these little conversations though, even if they are one sided. Well, I won't keep you waiting. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. –AzIce

"I was there as he brought down the chandelier," Erik continued. "As well as when he brought his love down here, only to have her taken away by another. Yes, I knew him." He wasn't ready to tell her the entire truth. However, he didn't lie. Everything he said was true.

"That's terrible," Reina remarked. "That's her, isn't it?" she asked, looking at all the painting and drawings adorning the walls. All of them pictured the same girl. There was even a mannequin of her in a shrine-like area. "He really loved her, didn't he?" she asked. "There are portraits of her everywhere. She's pretty. Christine. That girl told me her name."

"Yes, he did love her. He gave her his dedication and his very soul," Erik said, reminiscing. "Now come. Let us return to the Opera House. It is getting late and you should return to bed."

"Alright," she said. She was slightly disappointed that she didn't get to meet the Phantom, but it was okay. There was always some other time she could return.

Over the next few weeks, she could barely wait for the candles to be blown out at night so she could slip away to the cavern beyond the fifth cellar. After the visit to the Garnier Opera house, he began giving her voice lessons. Slowly, but surely, as he promised, the improvement came and it was enormous, but she was careful not to show it during the rehearsals. Sorelli became easily jealous and was dangerous when she was. Other than an instructor, he became someone that she could go to for console and help, and he was the light that led her from her depression from her friend's death.

Reina also had an impact on him. Now that he was concentrating on her more and following their rehearsals and such, he didn't think of Christine too often anymore. Of course, he still felt grief from her loss, but a lot of it was alleviated when Reina came down always with a cheerful smile on her face. And the role he played with Reina was different. To Christine, he had always been an ethereal, intangible guardian angel until those last, fatal months. But in addition to that guardian angel position he held, he was a real person to Reina. He didn't become a real person to Christine until the end, but he was always real and tangible to Reina. (Random A/N: Hm…I don't know if that makes sense. It's 11:00 right now, so probably nothing I write will make sense. Basically what I'm trying to say is that to Christine, Erik was only a voice, an angel sent by her father to train her voice. She didn't know he was an actual person. She was gullible enough to believe it was actually an angel. However, to Reina, he is a real person because she knows he's not an angel. The angel is just figurative.) It felt different, but it felt better. She easily engaged him in casual conversation—about her troubles, her day, and anything else that happened to be on her mind. And he found that he did the same with her—something that he had never done with Christine.

Reina was out in the courtyard one afternoon after Madam Ellisa had released them from rehearsal early, talking to one of her friends. "Ahh," she exclaimed, stretching her arms out towards the sun. "It's so pretty and sunny today. Madam Ellisa has been letting us out early from rehearsal a lot lately. I'm not complaining though. It's nice to just sit here in the sun."

"Mmm," the girl agreed, picking a flower. "It's good for people. Like you. You've changed since the Opera Populaire girls came."

Reina looked at her puzzled. "What do you mean, Kayla?" she asked, confused. "I haven't changed at all."

"Maybe you don't notice it," Kayla said. "But you're a lot happier lately, like you used to be. I know you were really depressed over Liz's death. And even after everyone moved on, you still seemed to be down. But since they came, I've seen more smiles on your face than in the entire last year. So, what's different now? Are you seeing someone?" she asked inquiringly in a joking fashion.

"No way," Reina replied, laughing. Only Kayla would come up with something like that. "I don't know what's different now. Maybe it's just that there's so many things going on around her that I haven't had time to think about Liz that much." she said, quickly coming up with an excuse. She knew that it was him that made her feel better, but he had told her not to tell anyone about him.

"Fine," Kayla said, giving up. "Hide your secrets. But I will find them out."

"I'm not hiding anything," Reina said, laughing again. "Oh…I think Madam Ellisa is calling us back." She sighed. "Only three more hours today. I don't know if I can last that long."

"Three hours?" Kayla asked. "That's nothing. Try following Sorelli around all day before an opening performance and having to pay attention to her every whim."

"Oh God," Reina exclaimed. "I would never survive that. I would have to glue her mouth shut first."

They laughed together as they returned to rehearsal.

That night, she headed down to his cavern. He no longer had to guide her, although he still did most of the time. The pathway from the fifth cellar to his cavern was long and twisted. Once she got out of sight of the door to the cellar, she took a torch off of the wall and lit it with the small candle that always remained lit in case he ever needed one. When she reached the cavern, he wasn't there, so she assumed he was in one of the back rooms preparing something. He always had such amazing tricks and displays. It was almost as if he really were an angel and could perform magic. She looked around and saw some new music on a stand. Curious, she walked over to it. It was an opera: "Don Juan Triumphant". The edges of the paper were slightly burned, but the lyrics for the parts were still intact.

'I've never heard of this opera before. I wonder if it is what we're going over today,' she thought as she flipped through it.

Still curious, she started singing from the script. "Past the point of no return, no going back now; our passion play has now at last begun. Past all thought of right or wrong, one final question: How long should we two wait before we're one? When will the blood begin to race, the sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flames at last consume us? Past the point of no return, the final threshold. The bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn. We've passed the point of no return." (A/N: I'm on a roll! It's 11:20 p.m. and I should be sleeping. But anyway, those lyrics are the best part of the entire movie! 333 That's why I put that entire blob there. Okay. Mooooving on.)

He had heard her coming. He was making some final preparations for a magic trick he was going to show her. She was always so easily entertained, even by the simplest magic trick. But then, she started singing that song that had ruined everything.

"…_Past the point of No Return, the final threshold. The bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn. We've passed the point of no return…"_

And his words came back to torture him. 'Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Lead me save me from my solitude. Say you want me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go, let me go to. Christine, that's all I ask of—'

Suddenly everything came back at him and he felt the despair all over again. He sank to his knees, a tear already falling down his cheek. And he realized now that even though he was trying to get away from thoughts of Christine, this girl was almost exactly like her. Now, everything he knew about the girl seemed to remind him of Christine. And now, there was only one solution left.

Reina put away the sheet music. It had been some time now since she got here. 'Where are you?' she wondered as she walked towards the set of back rooms in the cavern. But she found that they were all empty.

He was gone.

A/N: Muahahahaha. It's over! I wrote most of this chapter in a day, interestingly enough. Normally, I write about a paragraph or two a day. But the beginning of this was super sluggish, and then it hit me and it all spewed out. Anyway, I have to start working on my Gov't homework. I'm four chapters behind. :D I'm such a horrible procrastinator. Comments, criticisms, and plot ideas are always welcome and helpful for me. --AzIce


	6. Chapter 6

Another Angel: Ch. 6

A/N: Hola everyone, and welcome to Chapter Six! Nope, the story is still not finished and probably won't be for a while. I am way behind on everything…including this, so I don't know how often I'll be updating this, but I'll try. I really will. I've finally filled in the missing plot stuff, so I think I know what I'm doing, and writing shouldn't be too much of a problem. :) I just need to find time to do it. So, here goes. Hope you enjoy it. –AzIce

He was gone. She was confused at first. He was always here when she came down. And it looked like that he had been waiting for her too. Something laid unfinished in one of the rooms in the back.

'Maybe he left to get something,' she thought. 'I'll wait for him.' She waited for what seemed an eternity, but she saw not even a hint of him. 'Where are you, my angel?' she thought as she left, glancing back to scan the shadows for him one last time. She felt uneasy as she went back to the dormitories. He wouldn't leave without telling her, right? And she hadn't done anything against what he taught her.

Well…maybe not. The only thing she could think of was her actual singing during rehearsals and performances. Even though she was steadily getting better because of her lessons at night, she didn't show any of her improvement at the rehearsals and performances because she was frightened of La Sorelli's reaction. The last time someone became a remote threat to her status resulted in her friend's death. And even though he assured her time and time again that he would make sure that nothing happened, she still held back when she was singing.

'Could he be mad at me for that?' she asked as she slipped into bed. 'He's always been so patient and understanding with me. Why now?'

She had a hard time falling asleep that night. She couldn't help but wonder where he was. The flashbacks from the first day she met him in the fifth cellar eventually came to haunt her dreams.

The next day in rehearsal, she still searched for him in the rafters of the Opera House where he usually hid in the shadows to watch their rehearsals, but she neither heard nor saw him during the entire thing.

'Is he waiting for me to sing…?' she thought uneasily as the chorus part approached. 'He's been telling me to just sing normally for so long, but I'm so scared. Sorelli will not be an easy person to deal with. Okay. Fine. I'll do it. I trust him.'

Swallowing her fears, she entered flawlessly with the rest of the chorus, singing loudly making sure to sing every note in tune, just as they practiced during the night. She tried to ignore the stares that were starting to come from some of the people. She looked up cautiously and found herself looking at La Sorelli. There was a venomous glare in her eyes as she continued to sing her part. Reina immediately quailed from the glare and averted her eyes from Sorelli, although she kept her voice steady. Sorelli almost immediately stopped the rehearsal after that exchange of glances.

"You!" Sorelli snapped, pointing to her. "You are singing too loud. I cannot hear myself because of you."

"Sorry," she apologized. "I'll sing more quietly next time."

"You should be. We must start from the beginning of the act now because of you. Maestro, let us start," Sorelli said.

People groaned again. They had almost been to the end of the act. But Reina didn't say anything. Better the beginning of the act than the beginning of the play. Over the next few days, she suffered the same sort of criticism from Sorelli constantly. She became an example of what not to do. And Reina recognized everything. It was exactly what had happened to Liz, her best friend.

'My angel, where are you?' she thought desperately as Sorelli continued to criticize her during a practice. 'I have done what you asked. You promised you would protect me from her. Where have you gone, my guide and guardian?'

Erik sat in the cavern beneath the Garnier Opera house, looking at all the portraits of Christine covering the walls. He had never realized it until then at how close Christine and Reina were. He thought he had been over it, after all, he really had enjoyed all that time with Reina and the his love for Christine felt like it diminished to just a good friendship. But when Reina had started singing Past the Point of No Return, everything just returned—his love for Christine and jealous hatred of the Vicomte.

He wound up the music box and he let its Masquerade melody tinkle in the cavern, silent save for the constant lapping of the lake. Memories of Christine filled his soul as he remembered and savored each one. The music box stopped.

"Christine, I love you," he murmured, fingering the ring that was in his hand.

Days passed and she still heard nothing from her angel. By this time, she had stopped singing so well, and reverted back to the quality that she had sung with before, but Sorelli still constantly criticized her.

She found out that in addition to missing him because he was her angel, she missed him as a friend—as someone she could just talk to and relate her troubles to. Most of the girls excluded her now because they all blamed her for the extra long rehearsals that no one wanted to stay at.

One day after rehearsal, Madame Giry, the caretaker of the Opera Populaire girls, approached her.

"Excuse me, Reina, may I have a word with you?"

Reina turned at the unfamiliar voice and saw Madame Giry there. "Of course, Madame Giry." She followed Madame Giry to an empty room, where she closed the door. At the closed door, Reina started to feel slightly uneasy. Why would Giry approach her? Especially since they hadn't talked previously.

"Please, don't be frightened. It is just that the topic I am discussing with you is very secret. Is he doing well?"

Reina was confused at what she meant. "I'm sorry, Madame Giry. I'm afraid I don't know what you mean…"

"I recognize his work. Your singing has greatly improved these last few weeks. He has been tutoring you, hasn't he?"

"Do you mean…you know who he is?" she asked.

"Yes. I believe he goes by the Phantom of the Opera. I rescued him from a gypsy fair when I was younger." Giry told her tale of saving him and leading him to the Opera house, where he grew up. (A/N: I'm using the plot from the movie, so I'm assuming all of you have seen the movie so I don't have to write it all out. If you haven't, go see it. It's good.)

"I'm sorry, I don't know where he is," Reina said quietly. "I found him in the fifth cellar a month ago—the day when the Garnier Opera house burned down. I don't know what had happened to him, but he was in tears he was such a miserable, dejected person. And I couldn't just leave him there. I assume it was just because the Opera house was somewhere he had spent a lot of time at. And his friend, the Garnier Phantom of the Opera had just had his love taken away from him."

"Wait," Giry interrupted her. "Are you saying that there are two Phantoms?"

Reina nodded. "There's the one that lives—or lived—here…and there's the one that lived in the Garnier Opera House."

Giry saw how he thought now. He had probably not lied to her, but told her something so that she would assume that there were two Phantoms. "So, tell me about the night that he disappeared."

Reina sighed, but she went on. "I went down to the cavern as usual. He wasn't there, so I assumed he was in the back making something. He is really magical. He can make anything happen." She smiled at the thought of his amazing magic tricks. "So, I looked around the cavern for a bit. There was a new piece of music on the stand and I sung a little bit from it to see what it sounded like. But he never showed up. I went to the back and it looked like he was in the middle of preparing something, but there was nothing in sight."

"Tell me, what was the name of the piece of music?" Giry said.

"It was an opera I have never heard of before: Don Juan Triumphant. It sounded really good though."

That was it, Giry thought. Why he had left. He probably came here to try to get away from Christine, so he took up a new pupil. But when she sang that song, everything came back. It had been the cause of his demise.

"Ah," she said. She knew she should tell this girl the truth, but she didn't know how to do it. She had such an idealistic view of him, just like Christine had had. She thought he was amazing, an angel, a guardian, a guide, and perhaps even a friend. She didn't know the dark secrets of his nature. "Reina..."

"Hm?" she said, looking to Giry.

"Your Angel of Music is the Garnier Phantom of the Opera."

A/N: I think this is the longest one yet, but it's still not that long. Aren't you all proud of me? But it sure did take forever. \ I'll try to get the next one up sooner. I don't have homework this weekend, so I'm going to continue writing right after I post this on To my reviewers: futureChristine—I'm glad that you like my fanfic:) And of course it's not complete…it's just in slow progress. MoonCat—Yes! I make sense at 11:00 at night. I agree that it was the downfall of the relationship between the two. He was just a voice to her for so long. And Genius of Music—Hola to you too! I'm sure you're perfectly good at writing. And I have to agree that writing isn't my strong suit either. \ I just spew it out at once and I don't bother to change it or check it to see if things can be better worded, but I hope it all makes sense to you readers. Well, that's it folks. Thank you to all of my readers! Comments, criticism, etc. etc. (you know the drill) are always welcome. Until the next chapter, —AzIce.


	7. Chapter 7

Another Angel: Chapter 7

Author note: Hey everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? I know this chapter took FOREVER to get out, but life has been so busy. At least my midterm is over. :) Anyway, I have a couple of questions for all you readers that I'd like to ask because I'm curious about your opinions. So, #1. You may yet influence the plot. Should I be a Phantom traditionalist and have Reina be only a medium for Erik and Christine to get back together, or not? And #2, I've been careful to not reveal many physical characteristics about Reina. I've just said the fact that personality wise, she is similar to Christine. So, what do you all imagine her as? Age? Physical appearance? Christine look-a-like, or your own version? And that's it for your pop quiz. :) Responses can be emailed to azael. or left as a review if you don't mind everyone in the world seeing it. Thank you! Now, to the chapter. I wonder if anyone even reads these author notes. I guess I'll find out when/if I receive responses… —AzIce

Reina stared at Madame Giry in disbelief. "No way," she said. "There's no way he would have done all of that stuff. He's an angel."

Giry gave a sad, sympathetic smile. This girl believed everything that he told her—and she didn't even suspect him of being the Phantom that caused the destruction of the Garnier Opera House. "I'm afraid it's true," she said.

"No…" she repeated, refusing to believe it. "He's a good person. He wouldn't do all of those things."

"I must agree with you. He is a very well-intentioned person. He deserves a lot more than what he has. He gave Christine his soul, and she deserted him for the Vicomte, who loved her so much as well."

"You're lying. You're just making this up." Reina stood up from the chair she was sitting in. "I'm sorry. I don't think we're thinking of the same person. And I have a rehearsal to attend," she said, quickly coming up with an excuse to escape this mad woman and her absurd proposition. She walked away and opened the door to leave.

"You may not believe me," Giry said to her back as she left the room. "But go visit Christine Daae. She lives across town on the Chagny estate with the Vicomte. She will be the one who can tell you everything."

Reina didn't respond to Giry's last comment, but Giry knew that she had heard it.

Reina couldn't concentrate at all during the second rehearsal of the day. What Madame Giry had said constantly repeated itself in her mind, creating a shadow of doubt, albeit her continual, firm belief that her angel had nothing to do with the destruction of the Garnier Opera House.

La Sorelli's constant criticism of her didn't help either. Practice went half an hour later than usual because Reina wasn't paying much attention to rehearsal. But she finally made up her mind. She would go see Christine Daae. It seemed like she was the only person who could answer her questions. Her angel talked about her often, and Giry mentioned her. She must have had a big part in whatever story connected her angel, the Garnier Phantom, Madame Giry, and the destruction of the Opera House.

After rehearsal, she obtained permission from Madame Ellisa to leave. At first, Madame Ellisa had firmly refused her request, but later let her go without a second thought. Reina supposed that Madame Giry had talked to her and swayed her to allow Reina to go, but Giry's false story would not influence her. She changed into a simple, light green gown and put on a shawl before leaving the Opera House. It had been a while since she had actually left the opera house. They rarely left, as their entire lives were centered around the never-ending flow of operas that blew through their doors. After dressing, she walked over to the stables, handing the stable master a few coins.

"Where to, mademoiselle?"

"The Chagny Estate, please," she said as he helped her into the carriage. They left the stables and Reina headed for the truth behind everything—a truth that she began to fear as they came closer to the large, magnificent mansion across town. About midway through the trip, rain began to pour down from the dark gray clouds. She, however, hardly noticed as she was engrossed in her thoughts—reminiscing the long, yet enjoyable rehearsals at night; his powerful, smooth voice luring her to sleep and to a world she never imagined; and that first day they met. That would always be engraved into her mind, that one night that changed everything.

She felt the carriage stop and that jolted her from her thoughts. She looked out the carriage window to find herself looking at an enormous, magnificent mansion. The carriage driver came to open the door for her and he even held and umbrella out for her to shield her from the rain. (A/N: There's a better word for carriage driver. Someone tell me it. It's 11:30 and I just came back from school because I was working on a deadline. And umbrellas do exist in this time period. I researched it. Yes, a lot of thought goes into this). The driver banged the doorknocker and in a short while, a butler came to the door.

"And you are…?" he asked, waiting for an answer.

"I'm from the Paris Opera. I'm…I'm looking for Christine Daae. I was told that I could find her here," Reina said.

"Please, come in," the butler said, moving out of the doorway and gesturing to some armchairs. "I will get the master."

"Mademoiselle, shall I wait for you?" the driver asked as he turned to leave.

"No," she finally said with some thought. "This will take a while. Thank you though," she replied. "Please tell Madame Ellisa that I will return by 8 tonight."

The man nodded and left, while the butler left as well, supposedly getting Christine, leaving Reina in the foyer to wonder at the architecture and paintings on the wall; it really was a marvelous mansion. A few minutes later, a finely dressed man probably a couple years older than her came down the stairs. He started slightly seeing her there in the entryway.

"Who might you be?" he asked her, startling her from her thoughts.

She turned. "I'm Reina Merteuil, from the Paris Opera. I'm looking for Christine Daae. I was told that I could find her here."

"You certainly can," he said with a smile on his face. "I'm Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. I'll tell someone to find her right away. Forgive me for not coming sooner. I had no idea that you were here. Pierre must have forgotten to tell me that someone had arrived."

She smiled. "It's all right. I haven't been here long."

Raoul left for a minute, then came back, offering her something to drink as well as engaging her in small conversation while they waited for Christine.

Christine stared out the window, watching the rain pour incessantly from dark clouds, clouds that only became darker as the sun finally sank beneath the horizon fading to night. Though she was happy with Raoul, she still thought about the Phantom often. She missed hearing his voice at night, lulling her to sleep and entering her dreams. Even though it only had been a few days, she sorely missed her opera days already. Raoul thought it would be best if she took a couple of months off from Opera, because it had caused her so much stress. It did cause her stress, but she knew that he was afraid that the Phantom would return. She knew, however, that he would uphold her decision, no matter how much he still loved her. He was an honorable person.

She hoped that he was okay. That last night at the Opera House must have been horrible for him. He his deformity was revealed to the public and she chose Raoul instead of him. She felt horrible for doing so, but she loved Raoul. How she wished that both of them could be happy, but it would never happen. Both loved her so much.

'That last night, when he sung, he was so passionate about his life's work,' she said, remembering the thrill she felt at his touch—even his voice gave her shivers that night.

The door behind her opened and she turned at the noise. There was a servant there. He bowed.

"Sorry for interrupting you, mademoiselle. But there is someone waiting for you in the foyer."

'Waiting for me?' she thought. 'Could it be him? Would he be that daring?'

She smiled. "Thank you." She left, heading down to the foyer.

Reina saw Christine, or who she supposed to be Christine, approach from behind Raoul. Raoul saw her eyes move and turned. He stood up and greeted Christine with a quick kiss. "Reina, this is Christine, my fiancée. Dear, this is Reina. She's from the Paris Opera."

Reina and Christine smiled to each other, meeting glances.

"I actually have a question for you, madame. (A/N: I need help again on word selection, please:) I don't want the word madame, but I couldn't think of anything else. "Madame" is for Mrs. in French. But Christine is not a Mrs. at least, not yet. And it makes her sound old. And if I use 'mademoiselle,' which means young lady, it implies that Christine is considerably younger than Reina, which isn't the connotation I want. I want a word that implies that Christine is skill-wise, more advanced than Reina. Sort of like a modest "You're better than me because you're a star in the Opera and I'm not" attitude, but being polite about it, and they're about the same age. Does that make sense? Any takers? I know it's super confusing. Sorry!) But it's a very private question. Forgive me, monsieur le Vicomte, but may I ask you to leave? Or can we be taken to another room where we can be alone?"

After some slight hesitation, he agreed and they were led to Christine's room, where Christine shut the door and locked it.

"So, what is this secret that is only to be between you and me?" Christine asked curiously. She had never seen this girl in her entire life.

"I know I may seem prying. But I must ask you what happened," Reina said. "Please. Tell me his story. Tell me about his relationship with you. Tell me about the Phantom of the Opera."

A/N: Muahahaha. The end. For now. Next chapter will come eventually…eventually. This is mostly filler. Stuff will happen next time. And Erik might make reappearance. Maybe they'll all DIE. Nah. I wouldn't do that. :) Anyway, a thanks to all the reviewers! Genius of Music—I'm sorry the wait was so long! Don't do anything to me! Kaji Q—I'm glad you like my writing. I hope you'll continue to read. :) And SpeedDemon315—Wow. You posted your review right as I was about to post this chapter. I logged on and ta-da, there was a new review. Haha. Anyway, you'll find the answer to your review in the next chapter. So, ta-ta for now, my readers. Send those replies back in so I know what to do next chapter. And you all know the drill. Any comments, criticisms, yada yada yada are always welcome! Until the next chapter. —AzIce


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